There are many different means of transporting and delivering goods within cities. In North America, most large deliveries are made with trucks, with pedal power only used for small packages. In other countries, bicycles are used to make deliveries. In some cases, the bicycles have platforms and carriers that allow for large loads to be bound and transported. The weight of these loads is usually not great, as the bicycles have standard frames that cannot withstand heavy loads.
Panniers can also be used to transport goods. U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,471 discloses an article carrier that includes a beam fixed to an article, such as a pannier for attaching the article to a bicycle. Two hooks are secured to the beam for hooking to the bicycle. A base is fixed on the beam and has a track fixed on the top. A slide is slidably engaged on the track and has a retainer secured on the top for engaging with the bicycle so as to solidly secure the beam to the bicycle. These article carriers are not suitable for large or heavy loads. The bicycles are similarly not designed for heavy loads.
Goods can also be transported using bicycle trailers. One such trailer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,814,193. The trailer is designed such that when the trailer is decoupled from the bicycle, the trailer can stand without tipping over. Additionally, the coupling assembly used for coupling the trailer to the bicycle, together with the handle assembly, can collectively pivot about the trailer frame to permit the trailer to be easily maneuvered by the rider once the trailer has been decoupled from the bicycle. Bicycle trailers are limited in the load size and weight that can be carried. They are also rather unwieldy to maneuver.
Many articles are delivered on pallets. These are loaded into trucks with a combination of fork lifts and hydraulic tailgates. If they are to be unloaded as pallets, again, hydraulic tailgates and forklifts are employed. If only the articles are to be removed, then this can be done manually. However, it is required that a truck be driven from site to site, parked, and unloaded. The delivery vehicles are large, difficult to maneuver on tight city streets and cause pollution. Further, these vehicles are subject to parking restrictions, often resulting in the driver receiving hefty fines.
What is needed is a human-powered means of moving pallets. It would be advantageous if such a device could be classified as a bicycle or tricycle, travel on bike lanes, and not be subjected to the parking restrictions imposed on delivery vehicles. It would be a further advantage if the device was self-loading and self-unloading, as this would remove the requirement for a forklift.